Tag: income property investing
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New Tax Changes Target the Mortgage Interest Deduction
It’s that time again, as officials on both sides of the political fence tackle revisions to the tax code with an eye to reclaiming lost revenue and capping or eliminating various deductions and credits. This time around they’re eyeing the venerable mortgage interest deduction, a prized benefit that heads the list of deductions related to…
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Student Loans: A Broken System?
You don’t have to be a student to worry about student loan debt. With most college students finishing school with thousands of dollars n debt, the problem of student debt is rapidly becoming everybody’s problem. Amid wrangling in Washington about legislation to keep interest rates low and loans accessible, some financial experts are pointing out…
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How Does the Federal Reserve Affect You?
Buying a car? Looking for a job? Stocking up at the grocery store? The decisions you make about these things and many more are driven by the actions of the Federal Reserve. Although it seems that shadowy body only matters in the arcane world of high level finance, the Fed is responsible for the ebb…
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The Shadow Economy: 2 Trillion Invisible Dollars
The Federal Reserve’s plan to wind down its large-scale buyup pf mortgage backed securities appears to be on track for the end of this year. But, as Fed officials continue to warn, the plan’s future is still tied to economic indicators such as job growth and retail growth But there’s another, shadow economy whose largely…
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Investing Lessons From a Food Diva's Downfall
Love her or hate her, it seems you can’t escape her. Celebrity chef Paula Deen keeps on making headlines as she’s dropped by sponsor after sponsor and products bearing her name are yanked from store shelves. Her fall from grace for making racist remarks isn’t just a topic for the tabloids, though. The collapse of…
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Bitcoins, Babies and Bernanke: What’s Next for Digital Money?
The Bitcoin has only been around for four years. Although it’s still in its infancy, the digital currency created by an anonymous hacker has changed the way we think about money and how it’s used. Bitcoin stock has traded high and fallen low, and the network of goods and services that can be purchased with…
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Can Online Home Buying Boost the Recovery?
Time was, buying a house was a straightforward process, largely controlled by real estate professionals who had the listings and banks who had the say-so over financing. But the Internet has changed all that. Last year, over two thirds of home buyers in the annual Home Buyer Survey said they’d used social media in the…
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House Flipping is Still a Risky Business
In the years after the housing crash, house flipping hit the news as a surefire way to reap quick profits in real estate. Flippers would buy a cheap house, maybe a foreclosure, do some superficial cosmetic fixes and make a quick sale. But as a couple of high profile house flippers are finding out, this…
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Today’s Rates and the Down Payment Debate
Is conventional wisdom crippling the housing recovery? It’s almost a given that a homebuyer can expect to produce a down payment of at least 20 percent in order to secure a mortgage. And the more a buyer can put down, the more they can save over the term of the loan. But given the unique…
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For Some Landlords, Vacant is the New Rented
As consumer advocates push for expanded tenant’s rights laws, landlords are wondering where their protections have gone. As a recent op-ed column in The New York Times reveals, the landlord presiding over an entirely legal eviction can end up vulnerable to a host of potentially dangerous outcomes from disgruntled tenants. And for some property owners,…